There Is Still Hope
The Prophet Speaks:
1 I have suffered much
because God was angry.
2 He chased me into a dark place,
where no light could enter.
3 I am the only one he punishes
over and over again,
without ever stopping.
4 God caused my skin and flesh
to waste away,
and he crushed my bones.
5 He attacked and surrounded me
with hardships and trouble;
6 he forced me to sit in the dark
like someone long dead.
7 God built a fence around me
that I cannot climb over,
and he chained me down.
8 Even when I shouted
and prayed for help,
he refused to listen.
9 God put big rocks in my way
and made me follow
a crooked path.
10 God was like a bear or a lion
waiting in ambush for me;
11 he dragged me from the road,
then tore me to shreds.
12 God took careful aim
and shot his arrows
13 straight through my heart.
14 I am a joke to everyone—
no one ever stops
making fun of me.
15 God has turned my life sour.
16 He made me eat gravel
and rubbed me in the dirt.
17 I cannot find peace
or remember happiness.
18 I tell myself, “I am finished!
I can't count on the Lord
to do anything for me.”
19 Just thinking of my troubles
and my lonely wandering
makes me miserable.
20 That's all I ever think about,
and I am depressed.
21 Then I remember something
that fills me with hope.
22 The Lord's kindness never fails!
If he had not been merciful,
we would have been destroyed.
23 The Lord can always be trusted
to show mercy each morning.
24 Deep in my heart I say,
“The Lord is all I need;
I can depend on him!”
25 The Lord is kind to everyone
who trusts and obeys him.
26 It is good to wait patiently
for the Lord to save us.
27 When we are young,
it is good to struggle hard
28 and to sit silently alone,
if this is what
the Lord intends.
29 Being rubbed in the dirt
can teach us a lesson;
30 we can also learn from insults
and hard knocks.
31 The Lord won't always reject us!
32 He causes a lot of suffering,
but he also has pity
because of his great love.
33 The Lord doesn't enjoy
sending grief or pain.
34 Don't trample prisoners
under your feet
35 or cheat anyone out of
what is rightfully theirs.
God Most High sees everything,
36 and he knows when you refuse
to give someone a fair trial.
37 No one can do anything
without the Lord's approval.
38 Good and bad each happen
at the command
of God Most High.
39 We're still alive!
We shouldn't complain
when we are being punished
for our sins.
40 Instead, we should think
about the way we are living,
and turn back to the Lord.
41 When we lift our hands
in prayer to God in heaven,
we should offer him our hearts
and say, 42 “We've sinned!
We've rebelled against you,
and you haven't forgiven us!
43 Anger is written all over you,
as you pursue and slaughter us
without showing pity.
44 You are behind a wall of clouds
that blocks out our prayers.
45 You allowed nations
to treat us like garbage;
46 our enemies curse us.
47 We are terrified and trapped,
caught and crushed.”
48 My people are destroyed!
Tears flood my eyes,
49 and they won't stop
50 until the Lord looks down
from heaven and helps.
51 I am horrified when I see
what enemies have done
to the young women of our city.
52 No one had reason to hate me,
but I was hunted down
like a bird.
53 Then they tried to kill me
by tossing me into a pit
and throwing stones at me.
54 Water covered my head—
I thought I was gone.
55 From the bottom of the pit,
I prayed to you, Lord.
56 I begged you to listen.
“Help!” I shouted. “Save me!”
You answered my prayer
57 and came when I was in need.
You told me, “Don't worry!”
58 You rescued me
and saved my life.
59 You saw them abuse me, Lord,
so make things right.
60 You know every plot
they have made against me.
61 Yes, you know their insults
and their evil plans.
62 All day long they attack
with words and whispers.
63 No matter what they are doing,
they keep on mocking me.
64 Pay them back for everything
they have done, Lord!
65 Put your curse on them
and make them suffer.
66 Get angry and go after them
until not a trace is left
under the heavens.
Kulobgwa shamu ne kushanduka ne kugalabgwe
1 Imi ndimi nthu wakabona kudziyidzika,
mu shamu ye bushongola gwabo,
2 Bakandikweba bakandiyisa
ku lima lisina tjedza,
3 nge malebeswa banomilidza luboko gwabo
bendiloba be paphulula kanjinji zhuba lose.
4 Bakathama kuti nyama yangu
ne ganda langu zwishakale,
mafupa angu bakaavuna vuna.
5 Bakandikomba bakandipoteleka
nge bushungu ne mang'oni.
6 Bakathama kuti ndigale mu zhalima
se nfi wa ntolo.
7 Bakandibakilila nge bhakasa kuti ndizo ndisitongo siya
bakalonga ketani dzinolema mundili.
8 Nenguba ndidana ndikumbila bhatsho,
abatoteedza ntembezelo wangu,
9 bakazhalila zila dzangu nge mabgwe akabezhiwa,
bakathama kuti zila dzangu dzikombame.
10 Se bhira yakalalila bakandisala shule
se shumba imu zwimba,
11 bakandidzibilidza mu zila dzangu,
bakandipalula abe zwitibhu tibhu
bakandisiya ndili mu zhuba.
12 Bakapeta dati labo bakalingisana nami,
bakathama kuti ndibe unoposiwa nge misebe yabo.
13 Bakabhaya moyo wangu
nge misebe ye gobhodo labo.
14 Ndatjibe tjiseko ku bathu bose,
kundidadila kwabo kwatjibe lumbo gwe zhuba lose.
15 Bakandigutsha nge zwinobaba,
bakanding'wisa ndulu inobaba.
16 Bakathama kuti meno angu apupune mabgwana
bakandivukidza mu hwuluba.
17 Ndakadzibigwa mbakiso,
ndakakangang'wa kuti bhudilila kodwiwani.
18 Ndizo nditi, “Gudzo langu lakapela,
na zose zwandakabe ndakazwilingilila kudwa kuna Yahwe.”
19 Kumbulani kudziyidzika ne lungaila kwangu,
ne mbabashulo ne ndulu zwinobaba.
20 Nkumbulo wangu unogala wakakualakana,
ngono kondidzonga nkumbulo.
21 Koga ikoku ndowokulonga mu moyo,
ndizo nditjina kugalabgwe.
22 Ludo gusingazunguzike gwa Yahwe agutoma,
mahwilo ngoni abo aatopela,
23 matshwa mangwanana mamwe ne mamwe,
kukulu kugalikamoyo kwenyu.
24 Yahwe ndibo gobe langu,
ndozwidwa ndiyijalo,
ndizo ndowogalabgwe mu bali.
25 Yahwe bakalulwama kuna banogalabgwe mu bali,
kuna ibabo banobashaka.
26 Kwakanaka kulindila nge moyonlefu
jidzo la Yahwe.
27 Kwakanaka kuti nthu
asenge jokwi atji ntjetjana.
28 Ngaagale ali ega akanyalala,
ngoti Yahwe ndibo batilika ntolo mu nli.
29 Ngaavukidzile buso gugwe mu hwuluba,
pamwe swiyo kungabe kutjina kugalabgwe.
30 Ngaape lushaya gugwe kuna unonloba,
agute masapa awe.
31 Ngobe She abangatilashile tjose.
32 Nenguba bangazhisa zogwadza,
kudwapo banolakidza mahwilo zogwadza,
kuyendidzana nge bukulu gwe ludo gwabo gusingazunguzike.
33 Ngoti abatoloba kene
kuzhisa zogwadza mu bana be bathu nge mwaza.
34 Kutshamba nge makumbo
basungwa bose mu shango,
35 kulambila nthu tjakanlingisana,
mbeli kwe Upezhugwi zhugwi,
36 kudzibila nthu ndulamo,
Yahwe abatodumana ne zwithu zwakajali!
37 Ndiani ungalebeleka kukashingikala,
kuzhe kwe kuti She babe balaula kuti kujalo kene?
38 Apa ate nlomo we Upezhugwi zhugwi,
unodwa zogwadza zose ne zwithu zwibuya kene?
39 Ini nthu unotjila angang'ongola
haelobgwa shamu ye zwibi zwizwe kene?
40 Ngati shakisiseni zila dzedu kakale tidzilike,
ngono tishandukile kuna Yahwe.
41 Ngatizhuleni mimoyo yedu timilidzile maboko edu
ku Ndzimu u kudzimu titi,
42 “Takatjinya tikapanduka,
ngono amuzowotizwiibhatigwa.
43 “Makazwifukidza nge gwadzamoyo mukatitatamila
mukatibulaya musina ngoni.
44 Makazwifukidza nge gole,
kuti kushete ntembezelo ungaswika kumuli.
45 Makati thama tikabe shambgwa ne malala
pakati kwe zwitjaba.
46 “Zwita zose zwedu
zwakati zhulila milomo yazo zotituka.
47 Lutjo ne bhuzhu zwimbeli kwedu,
paladziwa ne golomodzo zwakatilingisana.”
48 Misenya ye mishodzi inowunga kudwa mu mesho angu,
ngoti bathu bakanyi kwangu balobesiwa.
49 “Mesho angu anowowunga mishodzi
nge kusingapele, asina kunyaluluka,
50 kudzina Yahwe belinga pasi bali pezhugwi
kubona tjinoshingikala.
51 Zwandinobona zondizhisila buyendasi mu moyo wangu,
ngekwe kudziyila kwe bakololokadzi be nzi wangu nkulu.
52 “Zwita zwangu zwakabe zwakandibengela suli,
zwakabe zwindivima se nyuni.
53 Zwakagwisa kupedza butjilo gwangu
nge kundilashila mu gomba,
zwikandikikithidza nge mabgwe,
54 vula ikandima pa thong'omana
ngono azwidwa nditi ndafa tjose.
55 “Ndakadana zina lenyu imwi Yahwe,
ndili pasi pasi mu gomba.
56 Makahwa kukumbila kwangu,
musizwine zebe dzenyu andililila kumuli
ndikumbila bhatsho.
57 Makasedzela pandili pandakabe ndimudana,
ngono makati kundili ‘Usitje!’
58 “Imwi She makatola ndebo yangu,
makadzutunula butjilo gwangu.
59 Yahwe makabona kuti ndakasundigwa nlandu tjini,
sumikilisani ndebo yangu.
60 Makabona kuti bakabe bali zhele kubgwilizila kungapani
ne njanga dzabakandilukila.
61 “Imwi Yahwe makahwa masapa azo,
ne kundilukila njanga kwazo,
62 milomo ne mikumbulu ye zwita zwangu
dzobhayana nami zhuba lose koga.
63 Tongobonani koga, abegala kene bema,
tjabo hwundidadila koga nge njimbo dzabo.
64 “Muzwibgwilizile itjo tjakazwilingisana imwi Yahwe,
kuyendidzana ne tjazwakathama.
65 Tundubadzani mimoyo yazo,
bhiso lenyu liwile muzwili.
66 Muzwitatamile nge bushongola muzwilobese,
mu zhuzhugwi la Yahwe.”